Wichita eagle., 1887-10-09
~. ~~yr

tho nOuSenOiQ 10 be6Sey Ann ma - 90
and followed these two wherever thsy
went to preach or to teach, In The
churches, the halls, the-anywhsre. Peter
could not but share n her interest; be
listened to her reports q meetings with
both his ears and al has soul He looked
upon lydia - favored above measure,
and fairly pinned 10 have these wonderful
women admit the general public TO their
presence, and allow them to share their
gifts and graces; but the meetings % tar
were 50 crowded with women that there
was no place found for men
One day Betsey Ann announced to Lydia
that Somebody's ben a-moyin' into the
next house, Mis- Patterson; p'raps you're
goin' to hev neighbors that side, ef you
haven't got them t'other."
Il had been q mystery and trial 70
Lydia ever since she came to her new
home that her next door neighbors did not
call on her She did not even know their
names She saw Q man leave the house
after breakfast and return before dinner,
and sometimes she saw Lady 60 out and
take the cross town cars; once she had
done that at the same time, but she did not
quite dare to ''scrape acquaintance, -
she termed It, and as there was no door
plate on that door, she could not address
the lady by name. It seemed . cold, I'M
christian way to live, but after time she
became used to 1t, and in her interesting
meetings forgot this unpleasant state Of
things. The left hand house had long
been empty, but Lydia was not 80 san
g,,ine about its new occupants a. her
handmade. Still, being from the country,
~ Ho I'm fvzo tn
every man, woman and child who goes
into or comes out Of tho next houses, and
those across the street besides, Lydia
did turn watchful eye on the new family.
She observed that they kept later hours
than she and Peter did, for night after
night, when Peter had locked every lock
and turned out every burner, when the
cat was slau entering the innocents in the
cellar and kitchen, when Betsey was
snoring in the attic, and the worthy pair
themselves were safe in bed and asleep,
Lydia would suddenly wake, lift her deep
frilled nightcap from the pillow, and hear
ing the roll Of . carriage come up the
street, stop, bell rung sharply, and doors
open and shut, she would remark to tho
still slumbering Peter, Those folks next
door is pretty late birds" Yet she had
never caught glimpse Of them for two
months after they were settled at her lsfs
hand.
One dark wintry night there set IN .
heavy rain, 80 heavy that neither Peter
nor Lydia thought 1t safe to 60 out, for
the water froze as 1t fell, and the streets
were q sheet of wet ice; they were very
much disappointed, for that night Mrs.
Johnson-Park and Miss Adeline Nary
were to speak In Q grand meeting for
"both sexes" az the advertisement spe-
cially announced. But Peter was too TO
tund to trust himself out In such state
Of things, and Lydia could not 60 alone;
30 they passed q quiet evening by the IRE,
or rather by that hole In the floor which
represents the family hearth Ia city
houses, Peter reading aloud the latest pa
pers and pamphlets issued by the temper
ance party, and Lydia peacefully knitting
on q silk sock destined for her lord and
master.
There were some awful revelations In
those papers that excited Peter very
much; statistics as to the amount Of
habitual drunkenness among the female
leaders of society in the city shocked his
very soul; he read and reresd, commented
and groaned, till Lydia began TO shiver 1t
the thought that ali the rich and ar:stO-
cratic women in Gotham were in constant
danger Of delirium trernens. In fact,
when bedtime came, and sleep descended
on the eyes of the worthy pair, they were
both dreaming Of Keeling women in seal
skin and velvet, diamonds glfttering In
their ears, and plumes waving above their
foolish faces, who blocked Fifth avenue,
and refused passage TO sober folk, VIXEN
they were simultaneously reused By .
sharp, imperative ring at the door bell
Peter jumped, and hurried on his
clothes. Don't you comet he smaxtly
addressed Lydia. "It's probably murder,
or fire You stay right there"
Lydia sank back obedientiy, and an
other loud peal hurried Peter 20 the door.
He stopped to light the gas In the hall,
and as it flashed up, heard . carriage
drive away, and another ring smote on
his ear He opened the door and the
light streaIned on two women, flushed
OF face, dripping with rain, clothed With
old waterproof cloaks, disheveled curls
peeping from one hood, and = straight
rough bang from the other.
go of the steps, you drunken
wretchesr' screamed Peter, slamming the
door in their faces. Then he turned down
the gas and listened IT the keyhole
"Oh. Jane, how dreadfuli II must be
that brother OF Bridget's that was 70 come
as our waiter to-day; he don't know as,
Oh, stagger 50 On this wet iceT'
Peter caught the words, dreadful"
and ''stagger," and nodded his head 81
gaciously.
Again the bell rang fercely, and two
pair Of hands assaulted the door. Il
shook, bu. did not yield.
''Why don't you open the door, We
are frozen Where Is Bridget, We are
wet through. Letus inl'
Him. Evidently not used 70 cold
water" chnckled Peter, cropping his way
up the stairs. and fading Lydia quite pale
with fright.
"Ohi OH whst-what was Il. Peterr'
sNothing-nothing, my dear. Two
manifestly inebriated females who wished
% get in Ssd-veTy ssd, but 50. Yen
recollect what The Coldwater Herald said
in that article on the Increasing intsmpsr-
ancs Of the female sex this evening"
Well, this is an awful proof Of the cor
rectnees Of that ststemsnt You won't
be troubled with them, I think, any
more"
ooh, Peter what II IL should BE- the
people in the next houses'
cit may &c. I think their late hours
poknt In that direction"
Ard with comfogtnhls sense Of being
mnruIly fax shove M naghhugs, Peter lay
DOWN and sisps - alssp d he cuusctously
upright man
Meantime the two l1eA1S vuDen -
Tie doorstep had bean fortunate sns1o1 -
- policeman IN the distance, I'D, vu1D-
ing TIL he waS near, tbs tallest ooe sat4.